I knew absolutely nothing about acting, and had to be taught everything. Some people are born naturals and know how to walk, talk and hold themselves. I didn't and had to learn everything.

An enormously successful series the last episode in 1978 was performed in front of the Queen. In 1995 he played the character Tony Fairfax in the BBC comedy Down to Earth. In the Inspector Morse episode 'Death is Now My Neighbour' he played the evil master of Lonsdale College Sir Clixby Bream.

From the late 1980s with Kenneth Branagh as director he performed Shakespearean roles.